Human
by Clirkus
Summary: "Many people would say I'm fairly foolish for what I'm about to do. I finish shoving the last of my essentials into my backpack. Grabbing my note and my cloak, I slip out of my room into the dark corridor."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do **not** own either Frozen or X-men. Each belongs to their respective owners. Neither do I own the lines directly quoted from Frozen.

**Prologue**

I remember just sitting there for days, numb to the world. I couldn't even _feel_ enough to comfort my grieving sister. So I just sat there, alone in my self-imposed, frozen prison. I remember Anna knocking on my door after _their_ memorial service. The agonizing grief in her voice only served to amplify my own grief, as well as the guilt. The guilt of not being there for her. But I couldn't allow myself to be that close to her again. Not after I had hurt her.

So here I'll stay, in my frozen bedroom, drowning in my self-loathing, fear, and guilt. I chuckle darkly, '_Well, the cold never bothered me anyway…'_ There's no hope of me controlling this raging storm inside. There's no one out there in the world _like me_… Oh how I wish I wasn't so alone.

Eventually, Anna stopped knocking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do **not** own either Frozen or X-men. Each belongs to their respective owners.

**A.N.: **First, I'd like to say that this is my first fanfic, so please don't flame me if you don't like it. I'm sorry if it took me so long to get this chapter up. No matter how many times I rewrote this, I wasn't 100% satisfied. Though, that might be my perfectionist's flaw shining through… Anyways, I hope you like it!

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

**Chapter 1**

Mutant. That's the word I heard a servant speak as she passed by my bedroom door. The way she said it, like- like it was sulphur on her tongue, made me frown.

But… what's a mutant? I mean, I know what mutation is; after all, I had learned its definition from my Biology tutor. Though if you go by the definition for the term mutation, wouldn't all living things on Earth be considered mutants?

'This will require some research…' But to do that, I'd have to use my father's study. And that would mean leaving my room.

Curling my fingers into fists, and scrunching my eyes shut, I slowly count down from 10. The ice spreading from my feet slowly melts and evaporates into the air. I uncurl my fingers and reopen my eyes.

I have to think logically about this. If I remember correctly, Father had a computer with internet access in his study. I could sleep during the day, and then, once the servants have left, I could slip out of my room to do research in Father's study.

As I went into the details, I didn't even notice how my room began to feel warmer than usual.

A few hours after the sun had slipped below the horizon, I made my move. I slowly opened my door and peeked out. 'There's no one in the corridor; that's a good sign.' I slowly crept down the corridor and peeked around the corner. Seeing no one there, I turned right and tiptoed past Anna's room, but not before I let out a small smile and a giggle as I heard her loud snores. Confident that none of the servants were awake, I quickened my pace as I got closer to my parents' bedroom. I quietly slipped through the door, and closed it quietly behind me.

My heartbeat increased as I took in my parents' room. I squashed the feelings of sadness down before they could even form. Looking around, I quickly noticed the door on the right side of the room that leads to Father's study. I move across the room, open the door, and walk inside, closing the door behind me.

Bookcases filled the space along the both the right and left walls. Sitting in front of the wide window was a wide mahogany desk; sitting upon said desk was my father's old computer. I walk across the rug before pulling out the desk chair and sitting down. I boot up the computer and am greeted with a log in screen. Looking at my profile picture, I frown. A small picture a younger Anna and I smiling up at the camera showed in the little box above the password box. I ignore the twinge of pain as I input the password for my profile. Upon successfully logging in, I open up the start menu and click on Internet Explorer and open Google. Typing slowly, I enter the word mutant and click search.

Immediately, thousands of search results fill the screen. One of the first was a news article about a person under suspicion of robbing a bank. Witnesses stated that a man by the name of Jamie Madrox was the one who robbed the bank, but he had a solid alibi with witnesses stating that he was eating at a restaurant at the time of the robbery. I exited out of the article and opened the next one on the list. The headline 'Mutant Terrorist Magneto Strikes Again!' spread out across the top of the screen with a small news story below. Still no info on what a mutant is. Each consecutive link yielded similar results. Just as I was going to give up and head back to my room, I decided to rephrase my search into a question. "What… is… a… mutant?"

I click on the first result and grin from ear to ear as I read what's on the screen. Apparently, there's a geneticist by the name of Charles Xavier who is an expert on human mutation. Going back to Google, I perform a search for a Charles Xavier.

One of the first search results was a link to a school's website.

A school called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

* * *

Many people would say I'm fairly foolish for what I'm about to do. I finish shoving the last of my essentials into my backpack. Grabbing my note and my cloak, I slip out of my room into the dark corridor. I sneak my way towards Anna's room, looking over my note along the way.

'_Anna, I know that this may seem rather abrupt, but I'm leaving. I want you to know that this has nothing to do with you. I just feel too stifled here in this castle. I need somewhere where I can just be me._

_It would be best if you didn't seek me out. In the event that I never see you again, I just want you to know that I don't hate you. I love you; you're the best sister that anyone could ever ask for. So please, please don't blame yourself for me leaving._

_Love,_

_Elsa'_

Satisfied with what I had written, I quietly open Anna's bedroom door and slip in. Just looking at her sleeping form wracks me with guilt. I attach my letter to the only place that she's guaranteed to see it: the door. Frowning, I take one last look at my sister. 'She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping…' Anna then rolled over onto her side, drool running out of her open mouth and a loud snore rolling through the room. Rolling my eyes, I smile before leaving her bedroom.

Whilst throwing my cloak over my shoulders, I slowly edge my way in the direction of our parents' bedroom. On the way there, I nearly knocked over a suit of armor after my inattention while fastening my cloak shut caused me to nearly trip over the rug. After that little mishap, I decided to walk at a much slower and safer pace.

Sighing in relief, I enter my parents' bedroom. I take a quick glance around the room as I creep towards Father's study; I smile slightly in their memory. I open the door and walk through. My way of escape is behind the second bookcase to the left of the door.

I had accidentally discovered a spiral staircase leading down towards a small tunnel while I was performing research on the topic of mutants. The tunnel in question leads to a small trapdoor hidden by bushes just outside of the castle walls. I'm assuming that it must have been used as a hidden escape route in the unlikely event that foreign invaders successfully took the castle in a siege. Anyways, I had tried to remove a book from the shelf, only for it to move and reveal said hidden staircase and tunnel.

I move in front of the second bookcase, and pull back the book on the geography of Arendelle and the surrounding mountains. Just like before, the bookcase twirls and reveals the spiral staircase. I walk past the bookcase to the top of the staircase, putting the bookcase back into its place. Looking down into the darkness of the staircase, I begin my descent.

As I descend into the darkness, I reach into my backpack and pull out a flashlight. Turning it on, I make my way to the staircase landing and down the tunnel to the first corner. I take a left and end up at the next corner. I turn right, and continue down the tunnel before taking another left, and so on and so forth. Eventually I make it to the end of the tunnel. With a shove, I attempt to open the trapdoor; it makes a groaning noise, but won't budge. Frowning, I attempt to open it again. Again, I'm met with resistance. 'Should I use my powers…?'

Tentatively, I remove the glove from my right hand, and place it against the aged wood and metal of the trapdoor. I channel a little bit of my power through my arm and hand into the trapdoor. My eyes widen in surprise as the trapdoor and part of the tunnel become covered in frost and ice. I quickly shove my hand back into the glove. Waiting for my heart rate to lessen, I take note of the ice sluggishly spreading from my feet. I chant the usual mantra of conceal, don't feel as I focus on reigning in my powers. As soon as the ice stops spreading, I frown. 'Why was that more difficult than before?' I shake my head, placing those thoughts aside for now. Looking at the door, I make another attempt to open the trapdoor. It groans, and opens a little bit, but doesn't budge anymore. I push even harder than before, pushing my whole body against the trapdoor. As before, it makes more groaning noises and opens up further, before it stubbornly refuses to move anymore. Narrowing my eyes, I back up a few steps into the tunnel before running towards the trapdoor. Shoulder faced forwards, I throw myself at the door, only for it to completely give way, causing me to fall flat onto my face outside.

Picking myself up off the ground, I quickly wipe the dust off of my face, and dust the rest of myself off. Then it dawns on me. I'm outside of the castle grounds. I'm finally free.

I do a quick, little happy dance before turning around and closing the trapdoor. I frown, noticing the dilapidated condition that I had helped cause the trapdoor to be in. 'Well… there's not much I can do about that.'

Turning around, I take quick note of my surroundings. Behind me, is outer side of the western castle wall. On all other sides, I only see bushes, though I can see the tops of trees above me. I move forward, pushing aside the bushes. Stumbling slightly, I look back, and notice that my cloak's snagged on the pointy end of a bush's branch. I reach out towards the branch, and try to untangle my cloak from the branch. Frowning, I begin to yank on my cloak, hoping for it to come free. With a final yank, and a yelp, my cloak breaks off part of the branch, and I fall forward, again. Angrily picking myself up, and dusting myself off, I look up, and notice the dirt path leading down to Arendelle. Luckily, I came out near the end of the path. As I walk down the path, I can't help but to stare in awe at the nature all around me. Trees tower above me on either side. Bright green grass with wildflowers and bushes sprinkle the ground between the trees.

Eventually, the nature trees and grass give way to houses and cobblestone. Clutching my cloak around me, I keep to the shadows as I make my way down to the docks.

Because of how small and mountainous Arendelle is, the only way on or off of our island country is by ship, or possibly helicopter. Upon reaching the dock, I take note of several ships, one of which appears to be American in origin. At least, the man on the ship appeared to be American. Said man appeared to be leaning against a wall, smoking, near the front of the ship. 'Why would anyone else be up at this time of night?!' Hoping he wouldn't recognize me, I pull down the hood of my cloak and clear my throat. This seemed to have caught the man's attention as he's now looking in my direction.

"What'dya want?" the man asked in a slight gravelly tone, a glare in his eyes.

I wince at the glare he levelled my way. Steeling my resolve, I prepare a response. "Are you the captain of this ship?"

"Yeah, that'd me," he replied, a suspicious glint in his eye. "Who wants to know?"

"Just a girl with an unfortunate past who wants to start over anew someplace else," I reply, "Are you by any chance leaving for New York?"

He quirked an eyebrow before responding, "So what if I am?"

"Would you be willing to take me with you to New York?" I asked. He levelled a dry look my way. The same look of suspicion as before once again clouded his features for a moment before being replaced with one of nonchalance.

"Why should I allow a complete stranger to travel with me on my boat back to New York?"

Keeping a calm look on my face was hard while I was internally panicking. Quickly, I took my backpack off of my back. The captain tensed as I rifled through my stuff. Upon finding what I was looking for, I take it out of the backpack. "I could pay you; how does 100 American dollars sound to you?" I ask, confidently. I could almost hear the gears grinding away in the captain's head as he contemplated my offer.

After what seemed like ages, he responded. "Make it $150 and you have a deal."

Smiling brightly, I count out $150 and put the rest away. I wait as the captain let down the gangway. I walk across onto the boat, handing the $150 to the captain as I walked onto the boat.

"So, why is the crown princess of Arendelle running away from home?" asked the captain in a speculative tone.

My blood ran as cold as ice. My posture must have been really stiff as I heard a gruff cough before he spoke again. "You don't have to give me a reason; was just curious is all."

My whole body seemed to relax as he said that. I suddenly feel much older than I actually am. If the man's willing to help a member of royalty leave her country, than he deserves at least a shred of honesty.

"To be completely honest, this place was way to stifling for me; I just… couldn't be myself here." There was a long silence before the captain responded.

"Yeah, figured as much," he said, a knowing tone in his voice, "Felt like that myself as a boy." I turned to look at the captain. He had distant look on his face, as if remembering something from his past. He shook his head before speaking again, "Follow me to the guest quarters." I followed the captain down into his ship. Doors lined the walls of the hallway we currently were walking down. He opened the door on the right at the end of the hallway. "It's small, but it should suit your needs until we get to New York."

The room had a small bunk bed with twin sized mattresses on top and beneath, a small closet to hang coats in, and a small desk with a lamp and a chair tucked into it. A small smile graces my features before I face the captain again.

"It's lovely, thank you so much," I respond, warmth lacing my words. The man blushes as he stutters out "It's no problem" before bidding me goodnight and going off to his quarters. I take off my back pack and set it against the side of the bed. I remove my cloak and store it in the closet. I sit on the bed, and take off my shoes. After taking off my socks, I rub my feet, contemplating what to do upon reaching New York. 'I could just take a cab to the school… I mean, I should have enough money on hand to do that…'

Finished rubbing my feet, I scoot my way towards the head of the bed, and push back the covers. I cover myself with the blanket and try to make myself comfortable. Well, at least as comfortable as one could be while trying to sleep in their everyday clothes. Eventually, I'm able to fall into a fitful sleep, filled with dreams of America, Anna, and the home I left behind.

**A.N.:** Reviews would be much appreciated! Constructive criticism would be appreciated as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do **not** own either Frozen or X-men. Each belongs to their respective owners.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

**Chapter 2**

Five days. It's been five days since I left Arendelle. I've kept myself confined to my room, only leaving to use the restroom or to get food. In my spare time, I've mostly been reading. I've also, against better judgment, been slightly toying with my powers.

I hold my left hand out in front of me, and narrow my eyes in concentration. Making light, circular movements with my right hand, I force a small ball of ice to form in my hand.

Smiling lightly, I place my hand on the ball of ice, and manipulate its form. With slow, deliberate movements, the bottom of the ice ball melts and shifts into a pair of legs, then a torso and arms, finishing with a head with braids of hair hanging down over each shoulder. I smile brightly at how accurately I could make an ice sculpture of my sister. Sure, the nose may be off slightly, or the eyes aren't quite the same shape, but I actually mustered up enough control to make something this beautiful! So caught up in my happiness, I didn't even hear the knock on my door, or notice it open until it was too late.

I freeze, my eyes wide in fright, as I look the captain in the eye. He looks from my face down to the ice sculpture in my hand. He lets out a gruff cough before speaking.

"Why don't you join me up on the deck," he said, before backing out of my room, and walking down the hallway. I stand up and walk towards the door. I set my sculpture of Anna on the desk before following the captain out onto the deck of the ship. 'He's probably going to throw me off the ship, or maybe he'll just expose me to everyone…' I wrap my arms around my sides and keep my head pointed at the ground. 'Why couldn't I just sit in my cabin and read; I just _had_ to carelessly use my powers…' Stepping out onto the deck, I see the captain staring at me. He motioned for me to sit on one of the chairs against the wall. As I sit down, the captain walks towards the other chair before sitting down. I could feel his gaze boring into me before he asked me a question.

"How long have you had your powers?" he asked. I jerk my head towards him, not expecting that type of question. The captain just leaned forward, resting an elbow on each knee and his head on his interwoven fingers, staring at the sunrise before glancing my way.

Looking down at my hands, I clench them into fists as I respond, "I've had them as long as I can remember." I unclench my hands as I recall something that Mother had once told me. "Mother once told me that she noticed the signs when I was born; she said that I always had a much lower body temperature than the other children." Unbeknownst to me, a light layer of frost had dusted my chair. "I used to have such good control over my powers..."

"And what, if I may ask, caused the lapse in your apparent control?" He asked, noticing the frost on my chair. A memory rushes through my mind as I rest my head back against the wall.

"I… I hurt someone," I respond, a far off look in my eyes, "Someone I was very close to."

"How did it happen?" he asked, nothing but compassion in his voice. I tell him how my sister had asked me to, in her words, "Do the magic!" and how she began jumping off of the snow columns too fast.

"My foot slipped," I say, a tremor in my voice, "One mistake, and I nearly killed her…" My eyes shine with tears as I remember that dreadful night. "How messed up is that? Older siblings are meant to protect their little brothers and sisters, instead I-"

The captain cut me off before I could finish speaking. "Elsa, it wasn't your fault," he spoke, firmly. "You were only a child; how could you expect to have absolute control when you were that young?" he asked, with a slight scolding tone, "There are mutants far older than you who have yet to gain complete control over their own powers; I see stories on the news nearly every week."

Wide eyed, before I could formulate a response, the captain cut me off again.

"No more blaming yourself, a child cannot be expected to shoulder a burden as large as that by themselves," said the captain, with a no nonsense tone. And that's where the conversation was dropped.

My shoulders sagged before I pulled up my knees, and wrapped my arms around my legs, placing my head on top. We both sat there, watching the sunset, until the Statue of Liberty and tall buildings of New York began to loom in the distance.

"You better go down and pack your things, we'll be docking fairly soon." The captain stood up and walked away. Heeding his advice, I stand, and make my way back down to my room.

* * *

Double checking that I have everything, I zip my backpack closed, and swing it over my shoulder. I had tucked my cloak into my backpack after feeling how warm it was outside; I had also changed into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I walk out into the hallway and close the door before making my way up to the deck. The first thing I see is the captain waiting by the gangway with a small smile on his face. I walk up to him with the $150 in my hands and hold it out to him. I frown slightly as he pushes my hand away.

"I don't need your money," he says softly, "You might need it later, for cab fare or something." I shove the money back into my pocket before smiling at him. Before he could even say anything, I hug him. He seemed shocked for a moment before he hugged me back.

"Thank you, for everything," I mumble quietly. I back away from him before speaking again, "Words can't even begin to describe how much better I feel after talking about… the incident." He smiled as he responded.

"Everyone needs a person that they can talk to," he said, "Bottling up your emotions is just not good for your health, or your control."

I smile at him as I walk down the gangway. Half way down, I realize something. Turning around, I ask for his name, only for confusion to cover my face; he wasn't there. 'He must be helping the people working for him or something…' I walk all the way down to the wooden dock. I take one last look at the ship before walking away, not noticing that the captain had returned. Nor did I see that his eyes, for the briefest moment, had turned yellow.

**A.N.:** Sorry that this chapter was so short compared to the last one! What I had wanted to accomplish in this chapter was for Elsa to receive a nudge in the right direction in regards to control over her powers. This just seemed (at least to me) like it'd be a good stopping point. But don't worry! The next chapter will be much longer than this one. The next chapter should be posted by the end of the week at the latest. See you all then!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do **not** own either Frozen or X-men. Each belongs to their respective owners.

**A.N.:** First, I feel I should let you know that right now, we're a month or two before the events of the first X-Men movie, so Rogue won't be making an appearance for at least a chapter or two. I'd also like to apologize for not getting this done and uploaded last weekend, but real life got in the way. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

'_Speaking with telepathy'_

**Chapter 3**

"Taxi!" I exclaim, my hand in the air. I breathe a sigh of relief as a taxi pulls up and I get in. 'Finally away from all of these people; I knew New York had a lot of people, but I never expected there to be this many…' I'm shaken from my inner ramblings as the cabbie asks me where I'm heading. I hand him the paper I had written Professor Xavier's address on, and a minute later, we're driving away.

"So, you a foreigner?" the cabbie asked. I raise my head to meet his gaze through the rear view mirror.

"I guess you could say that," I respond, "I just felt like I needed a new start." The cabbie just nods, accepting my answer. I relax into the seat, and watch as the buildings pass by. Eventually, we run into heavy traffic. Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I decide to rest my eyes. "Just for a bit," I mutter quietly. About five minutes later, the cabbie chuckles as I begin to lightly snore.

* * *

I'm startled awake as I feel someone shake me. Reflexively, I swing my arm out at my would-be attacker, my face paling as I feel my powers spike. I open my eyes, cringing as I see an unknown bedroom ceiling completely coated in a thick layer of ice.

"Dude! Give a girl a little warning before you do that!" a girl's voice exclaims, surprise evident in her tone. I sit up in the bed I'm lying in, and look around. The first thing that I notice is the brunette-haired girl standing a few feet away from me holding her hand over her heart. With wide eyes and a small gasp, I ask if I had hit her. With a wry grin, she responded with a small chuckle.

"Nah, I'm fine," she said, "It's kinda my thing; I can phase through solid objects. Kind of like a ghost." With a sigh of relief, I smile slightly before becoming confused.

"Wait… you have… powers?" I ask, almost timidly, "Like me?" The girl smiled softly at me before responding.

"Well, yeah," she said, "All of the students at the school are mutants, like us." My head perked up at that last bit.

"So, I'm inside Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters?" I ask. The girl nods in assent before a look of remembrance appears on her face.

"Oh! That reminds me, the professor told me to escort you to his office once you woke up," said the girl. I nod before getting up out of the bed. I stretch, and with a yawn, follow the brunette out of the bedroom.

"My name's Kitty, by the way, Kitty Pryde," said Kitty before glancing in my direction, extending a hand. I just look at her hand before replying.

"Elsa Frost," I reply, not shaking her hand. Noticing a slight questioning look, I give a quick explanation. "I- I'm just not that comfortable shaking hands with people," I say quickly. Kitty quirks an eyebrow, but lets it drop. We walk the rest of the way in silence; eventually we're standing in front of the door to Professor Xavier's office. I raise my hand to knock, only slightly jumping as the professor tells me to come in. Kitty smiles and says goodbye before walking away down the hall.

Bracing myself, I grab the doorknob, and open the door. Glancing inside the office, I see a bald man in a wheelchair smiling at me. I let out a timid smile before entering, closing the door behind me.

"Hello Elsa, why don't you have a seat," said Professor Xavier, gesturing towards the chair sitting across from his desk. Tentatively, I walk over towards the chair, and sit down. "Let me start off by giving you my condolences for your loss; it is never easy when one loses their loved ones," said Professor Xavier with an understanding tone. My smile immediately drops; I find myself fighting the urge to cry.

"Thank you," I respond, voice almost quavering. I quash down the sadness before I can lose control. The professor must have noticed what I was doing, as he frowned. A moment later, and the frown was gone and replaced with another smile.

"After it was reported on the news that the crown princess of Arendelle had run away, I had an inkling of a thought that you would come to my school," said the professor before he laughed, "I was actually planning to pay a visit to speak with you about attending my school, only to hear that you had left Arendelle." Astonished, my cheeks burn with embarrassment; I'm not sure how to respond to that. I didn't have to respond, however, as Professor Xavier began speaking again.

"I suppose it doesn't matter how you arrived here, though," said the professor, "All that matters is that you're here." I nod slowly before asking the question that's been at the forefront of my mind ever since I left for Arendelle.

"Professor, could you explain to me what exactly a mutant is?" The professor rests his elbows on either arm of his wheelchair and intertwines his fingers before responding.

"A mutant, in the simplest terms, is a human who possesses a gene in their DNA that is known as the X-gene," says the professor, "The X-gene grants the person a superhuman ability of some form. The type and level of powers one develops as a result of their X-gene varies greatly from person to person." I nod my head in comprehension as Professor Xavier continues on. "Some mutants are able to control ice and snow while others are able to read another person's mind," said the professor, a knowing look on his face. I tense slightly in the chair. 'How could he know? Wait does that mean…'

'_That I'm a telepath? Indeed,'_ spoke a voice in my mind. I visibly jump in my chair, hand held over my rapidly beating heart. "There is no need to panic, Elsa," said the professor, "I never delve into another person's mind without their consent." Well, that was a little reassuring. But wait a second…

"Then how did you know about my powers?" I ask in suspicion. The professor chuckles mirthfully.

"If I had a dime every time a prospective student asked me that question," said the professor, "There is a machine that I use called Cerebro that allows me to locate any mutant in the world; the information I obtain about a mutant that I search for is just general information such as height, weight, age, etcetera, but it also informs me of the kind of abilities that they possess." I nod along, a look of comprehension on my face.

"Is that how you found out about me?" I ask. Professor Xavier nods, a smile on his face.

"Honestly, I only used Cerebro to confirm that you were a mutant," said the professor, "There has been speculation from the media for years that you were a mutant, Elsa." A shocked look appears on my face before it quickly disappeared. 'Well, I guess it's not that farfetched of a theory; why else would one lock themselves in a castle and never come out?' Wait a second…

"When you said prospective student, what did you mean exactly?" I ask feeling slightly confused.

"Elsa, I would like to extend to you an invitation to attend Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," said Professor Xavier, "Here at my school, you would be among those who are like you, other children who are also young mutants." Before the professor could even speak another sentence, I interrupt him.

"I would love to go to school here," I say, a beaming smile on my face, "I had always thought that I was alone… that I was the only one in the world with powers. And now I learn that not only are there others like me, there's an entire school for people like me!"

"Wonderful!" the professor exclaimed, "Now, I have some paperwork that I may need you to fill out and sign." Smiling, I nod and begin filling out the first form. It's been so long since I've felt this happy; things seem like they're finally looking up.

* * *

After finishing with the paperwork, Professor Xavier told me that he should have my class schedule ready by tomorrow night. Considering that it's almost lunch time, he thought it would be a good idea for me to go have lunch with my new classmates. So here I am, making my way towards the cafeteria. As I make another turn, I walk head first into another person. As I'm falling backwards, the person reaches out and catches me by the hand, pulling me back to my feet.

"I'm sorry," I say as I look up to the person who caught me. He's a guy who looks to be around my age. He has blue eyes, black hair, and stands a full head taller than me. I catch myself staring and look away.

"It's no problem," he says, a smile on his face, "I ran into you." A look of confusion crosses his face momentarily.

"I haven't seen you around before," he says, "Are you new here?" I nod in response before asking him a question.

"Do you know where the cafeteria is?" I ask, "Professor Xavier gave me directions, but I kind of got lost."

"You're in luck, that's actually where I was heading," he replied, "Let's walk down together." I smile in response and continue walking alongside him.

"I'm Elsa, by the way," I say, glancing in his direction. He looks my way before responding.

"Piotr," he responded. I quirk an eyebrow at the short response, waiting for him to say something more, but nothing more is said. We lapse into a comfortable silence until we finally reach the cafeteria.

"Once you get your food, you should sit with me and my friends," said Piotr, gesturing towards a table next to a large window.

After getting our food, we make our way over to the table that Piotr pointed out. I immediately notice a familiar face. Apparently she noticed me as well. Kitty waved at me, gesturing to the open seat next to her. I smile in appreciation before sitting down, Piotr sitting down across from me next to a guy with dirty blonde hair and a guy playing with a lighter. Kitty turned to me and asked what the professor had wanted to talk to me about.

"He asked why I had run away from home, and then informed me that he would have visited me himself if I hadn't," I said, a light blush on my cheeks, "By then I was feeling fairly mortified." Kitty just grinned.

"So, are we going to be seeing you around?" asked Kitty.

"Yeah, I finished filling out a lot of forms before leaving his office, and he said my class schedule should be ready by tomorrow evening," I reply. Suddenly, the guy with the lighter asks me a question I wasn't quite prepared for.

"So, what can you do?" he asked. At my confused expression, he elaborated on his question. "What kind of powers do you have?" I bite the corner of my bottom lip, confliction easily readable on my face. The lighter boy just sneers at me.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of your powers?" he asks, incredulously, before laughing, "That is just sad! A mutant afraid of themselves!" As he laughed at me, I couldn't help but feel my control begin to slip, memories of what I had done to Anna begin to surface. Suddenly I'm not hungry anymore, and I excuse myself before walking away out of the cafeteria.

* * *

After nearly getting lost around a dozen times, and nearly running into many other students, I had found my way back to the room that I had woken up in. Leaning against the bed I had woken up in was my backpack. I open up the backpack and dig around a bit. Eventually I find what I'm looking for, pulling out a sketchbook and pencil. I climb up onto the bed, propping my knees up and using them as a surface for the sketchbook. Absentmindedly, I begin to sketch a drawing of Anna. I had discovered when I was around nine that drawing always seemed to have a way of reigning in my powers and calming me down when conceal, don't feel didn't seem to be enough. However, not even this seemed enough to distract me as ice began to creep over the pencil's surface. I curse silently and throw the offending item away. I move my sketchbook onto the small table by the bed, and wrap my arms around my legs. Eventually, I hear the doorknob twist and the door open. I look towards the door and see Kitty standing there looking gobsmacked.

"You've been here the whole time?" she asked, "After you left the cafeteria, Bobby, Piotr, and I spent at least an hour looking for you; we even ditched our first classes after lunch." I frown, suddenly feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry," I respond, "You shouldn't have had to miss class on my behalf." Kitty scoffs lightly at me.

"After you left like that, we wanted to make sure you were okay," she said, "Don't even try to blame yourself for that." I smile lightly at her; however, my smile turns into a grimace as I remember the reason for my leaving the cafeteria.

"He's not wrong you know," I say derisively to myself, "It IS pathetic that I'm so afraid of my powers… of myself…" I feel the mattress sink slightly as Kitty sits down next to me.

"No, it's not," Kitty responds, genuine compassion in her voice, "Look, I don't know what you went through to make yourself feel this way, but you need to stop. From what I've seen, you're NOT a bad person; so whatever happened wasn't your fault." I open my mouth to say otherwise, but Kitty cuts me off. "I'm not hearing any of it," Kitty says before grabbing my wrist.

"Come on, we're going downstairs, Bobby and Piotr are downstairs in the rec room," said Kitty, pulling me out the door with her, "I'm sure they'd like to know that you're ok." I sigh in exasperation, but let Kitty lead me along through the halls and down the stairs.

As we walk into what I can only assume is the rec room, Piotr notices me first and subsequently loses the race against Bobby on Mario Kart. Kitty leads me over to the couch and plops me down next to the guy whom I can only assume is Bobby before walking over to the table by the window and taking one of the chairs. Bobby turns towards me.

"We didn't really have the chance to meet at lunch," said Bobby, tactfully avoiding mentioning that little incident, "I'm Bobby." I smile at him.

"Elsa," I respond, "Elsa Frost." Hearing Kitty curse, I look back at the TV screen and see Piotr's character throw some kind of a red shell at Kitty's character before racing past her across the finish line. I laugh at the pouty look on Kitty's face.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of powers do you have?" I hear Bobby ask. At this point, I notice Piotr pause the game and look in my direction. Even though Kitty kind of already knows what I can do, she's still leaning slightly forward in anticipation. I look back to Bobby and try to think of a non-destructive example of my powers to give. Suddenly, I remember how I used to make a snowman for Anna. Standing up, I walk towards the middle of the room. Remembering the way my hands moved when I made the snowman, I whirl my hand in a circular motion and a snowman forms out of thin air. When I'm done, I hear Kitty, Piotr, and Bobby clapping. With a quick wave of my hand, the snowman disappears. I walk back to the couch and sit back down next to Bobby, who I am now just noticing is grinning from ear to ear. I frown slightly.

"What?" I ask curiously. Without even speaking, he lifts his foot up and taps it back on the ground, and suddenly there's ice. I gasp in surprise at the realization.

"You- but I- How-?" I ramble, not able to form a whole sentence. I had NEVER thought that I'd meet someone with nearly the same exact power as me. Kitty laughs at my inability to form a coherent sentence, and that dispels the sputtering spell I'm in. Shaking my head in amusement, I look towards Piotr. As if anticipating my question, his skin changed into metal and his eyes turned a steely grey color. Mouth set into an o-shape, I don't know what to say other than, "Cool." Almost instantly, the metal turns back into flesh and his eyes go back to blue.

The guys look towards Kitty, as if expecting her to show off her powers. I laugh slightly before explaining how I had already seen her powers in action as I almost hit her with my own powers when I woke up earlier that morning. Bobby asks if I want to join them on Mario Kart, but I decline. I'd much prefer to watch. After watching Kitty repeatedly lose, and then threaten Bobby and Piotr with bodily harm if they didn't stop cheating, I couldn't help but smile. I blush as my stomach grumbles loudly. After Bobby won again, he turned the Nintendo 64 off and stood up, the others and I got up as well.

"Well it's almost time to go eat," said Bobby, "Come on, let's go before it gets crowded." As we walk out of the rec room, I smile to myself, and a warm feeling spreads throughout my body. 'This must be what it feels like to actually have friends.' My smile didn't disappear the whole time we ate.

* * *

After helping Kitty complete her homework (I feel like I'm going to be ahead in my math and science classes), we were both yawning. "I can't remember the last time I felt this tired," Kitty groaned. I laugh at her, earning a glare from Kitty. Truth was, I felt the same way.

"I think it's time for us to go to bed," I say, another yawn escaping from my lips. I had already changed out of my clothes into a t-shirt and sweatpants provided by the school.

After brushing my teeth, I climb up into my bed and lay down, pulling the covers up. "Goodnight," I say to Kitty as I turn off the lamp on the bedside table. Kitty mumbles a goodnight before doing the same. Thinking over everything that happened today, I can't help but feel relieved. I'm not alone. I have friends. I found a place where I can belong, where I can be myself. For the first time in forever, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

**A.N.:** Before anyone asks, there is a reason why Elsa's last name is Frost. Think. What other mutant has the last name Frost? Feel free to leave any constructive criticism in a review!


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